ROTARY CLUB OF FORT COLLINS BREAKFAST
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION AND INFORMATION
PACKET
Revised July 1, 2007
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
AWhat ROTARIANS get out of Rotary depends largely on what they put into it.@
Effective Rotary Clubs exhibit four key characteristics:
A. They strive to increase or sustain their membership
B. They participate in service projects that benefit their own community and other countries
C. They support The Rotary Foundation financially
D. They develop leaders capable of serving Rotary beyond the Club level.
This is accomplished through four (4) key elements:
1. Attend weekly club meetings: Maintain at least 70% attendance per six (6) months, with 60% of your total attendance being at your own Rotary Club. This is a standard\requirement of Rotary International for good standing in your Rotary Club.
2. Participate in club service projects
3. Make a financial commitment through prompt payment of dues and contributions to The Rotary Foundation
4. Join committees and participate in their programs
RED BADGE TO BLUE BADGE
Upon joining our club, you received a RED BADGE. To convert this membership badge to your permanent BLUE BADGE, you will need to complete the following steps:
1. Attend a Fireside Chat: This is an informal meeting of club members, including officers and board members, to discuss activities, operations, projects and programs of our club, as well as to socialize and have an opportunity to get to know club members outside the formal meeting setting.
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2. Be a Greeter for a Club Meeting two times: A Greeter is that familiar and smiling face at the entrance door to the club meeting room extending the hand of friendship and greeting members as they arrive at the meeting. The first time, you will be with your mentor; the second time you will be with another Rotarian from the club. You must be there at 6:40 AM, wear your AGreeter@ Badge, and have fun getting to know the club members.
3. Give a Vocational Talk: This is an opportunity for you to stand up in front of the club membership at a regular meeting and give a Abrief@ talk about yourself. This is not meant as a platform to advertise your business, but as an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the club membership and tell them something about your past, education, family, hobbies, and interests, including why you wanted to join Rotary.
4. Attend a meeting of one of the Club Committees (Avenues of Service): This is to acquaint you with one of the four Committees in the club, and to learn about the focus of that Committee, and recognize its members. It is recommended that you learn a little about each of the four Avenues of Service and visit several of the different Committees. There are four Avenues of Service\Committees in all Rotary Clubs. Those are: Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, and International (World Community) Service. These are explained in this packet.
5. Join a Club Committee and attend its meetings: This will “plug you into” the activities of the committee and connect you with club members.
6. Take part in 2 of our club’s “hands on” projects: The first time, with your mentor; the second time on your own with other club members. This will give you an opportunity to work side by side with other club members, experience the joy of serving in the community, and expose you to a few of the on-going projects of our club.
7. Attend another Rotary Club meeting: This may be in town or in another town, state, or country. This is a chance to see another club operate and gives an appreciation for the diversity of clubs.
In addition to these seven (7) requirements, you will be expected to be in Good Standing with the Club and in compliance with the Standards\Requirements of Rotary for Membership. This requirement is to ensure your participation in the club, attendance of its meetings and activities, and involvement in the projects and functions it supports. Club meeting attendance is important and a 60 % meeting attendance percentage is required by Rotary International; our Club’s attendance goal is 70 %. You can Amake up@ your attendance in a number of ways: attend another club meeting, attend a club sponsored function\activity that has been sanctioned as a Amake up@ event. You must make our club Secretary aware of your Amake up@by turning in a make up card (given by another club if you attend their meeting) within 14 days of the make up activity.
ROTARY BASICS
PRINCIPLES OF ROTARY:
Throughout Rotary=s history, several basic principles have been developed to guide Rotarians in achieving the ideal of service and high ethical standards in their personal and business\professional lives. These are:
1. The OBJECT OF ROTARY: First formulated in 1910 and adapted throughout the years as Rotary=s mission has expanded. It provides a succinct definition of Rotary=s purpose and an individual club member=s responsibilities.
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AThe Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise, and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian=s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian=s personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.@
2. THE FOUR WAY TEST:Created in 1932 and adopted by Rotary International in 1943, this test has been followed by Rotarians worldwide in their business, professional and personal lives, and has been translated into more than 100 languages.
AOf the things we think, say or do
1). Is it the TRUTH ?
2). Is it FAIR to all concerned ?
3). Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS ?
4). Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?@
3. ROTARY=S MISSION:
The Mission of Rotary International is to support its member clubs in fulfilling the Object of Rotary by:
Fostering unity among member clubs;
Strengthening and expanding Rotary around the world;
Communicating worldwide the work of Rotary;
Providing a system of international administration.
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THE FOUR AVENUES OF SERVICE
The Four Avenues of Service are based upon the Object of Rotary and are Rotary=s philosophical cornerstone and the basic foundation of club activities.
1. CLUB SERVICE: Focuses on strengthening fellowship and ensuring the effective functioning of the club.
2. VOCATIONAL SERVICE: Encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards.
3. COMMUNITY SERVICE: Covers the projects and activities the club undertakes to improve life in its community.
4. INTERNATIONAL (WORLD COMMUNITY) SERVICE: Encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary=s humanitarian reach around the globe and to promote world understanding and peace.
Rotary International recommends that clubs planning service activities consider nine (9) major needs or concerns: Children at Risk, Disabled Persons, Health Care, International Understanding and Goodwill, Literacy and Numeracy, Poverty and Hunger, Preserve Planet Earth, and Urban Concerns.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
1. INTERACT: Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this service organization for youth ages 14 to 18. There is currently one (1) Interact Club in Fort Collins.
2. ROTARACT: Rotary clubs organize and sponsor this leadership, professional development, and service organization for young adults, ages 18 to 30. There is currently one (1) Rotaract Club in Fort Collins.
3. ROTARY COMMUNITY CORPS (RCC): Rotary clubs organize and sponsor these groups of non-Rotarians who work to improve their communities.
4. ROTARY FELLOWSHIPS: International recreational, vocational, and health-oriented groups open to all Rotarians and spouses sharing common interests such as stamp collecting, skiing, yachting, flying, etc.
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5. ROTARY FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE: Rotarians and their families make reciprocal visits to others countries, staying in each other=s homes and learning about the culture firsthand. This is usually done as a District to District exchange.
6. ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE: Clubs and districts sponsor and host students ages 15 to 19 who travel abroad (outbound) or join the club=s community (inbound) for an academic year. Summer exchanges between two students and their families are also available.
7. ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (RYLA): Clubs and districts sponsor seminars to encourage and recognize leadership abilities of youth and young adults ages 14 to 30. Districts 5440 (our District) and 5450 co-sponsor a week long leadership conference for 8th graders (young RYLA) and high school juniors or seniors (RYLA) to encourage and develop leadership skills through interaction and speakers.
8. WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE (WCS): Rotary clubs and districts from two different countries form partnerships to implement community service projects; many such projects receive funding from The Rotary Foundation Humanitarian Grants Program.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
The RI Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that receives contributions and provides funding in support of humanitarian and educational programs implemented by clubs and districts. Contributions from Rotarians to the Foundation go into:
1. The Annual Programs Fund: Provides grants and awards through Foundation programs, and
2. The Permanent Fund: An endowment from which only the earnings are spent in support of Foundation programs, ensuring the long-term viability of the Foundation.
Every dollar contributed by Rotarians funds the humanitarian and educational programs and program operations. Clubs and districts apply for and receive Foundation grants to carry out many worthy projects worldwide.
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The Rotary Foundation=s mission is to support the efforts of Rotary International in the fulfillment of the Object of Rotary, Rotary=s mission, and the achievement of world understanding and peace through local and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs.
HUMANITARIAN GRANTS PROGRAM: Enables Rotarians to increase their support of international service projects such as water wells, medical care, basic shelters, literacy classes, and other essentials to people in need. Participation by Rotarians from at least two clubs is essential to the implementation of a project.
A. DISTRICT SIMPLIFIED GRANTS: Enables districts to use a portion of their District Designated Fund (DDF) to support service activities or humanitarian endeavors that benefit local or international communities.
B. INDIVIDUAL GRANTS: Support the travel of Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, Rotaractors, and qualified Foundation alumni who are planning or implementing humanitarian service projects abroad.
C. MATCHING GRANTS: These assist Rotary clubs and districts in carrying out World Community Service projects with clubs in other countries.
D. HEALTH, HUNGER, AND HUMANITY GRANTS: These fund various health and humanitarian projects with long-term objectives and considerable financial responsibility.
E. BLAINE COMMUNITY IMMUNIZATION GRANTS: These fund immunization projects other than Polio Plus.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: These programs are designed to promote international understanding by bringing together people from different countries and cultures.
A. AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS: Awarded to students to serve as ambassadors of goodwill while studying in countries other than their own.
B. ROTARY WORLD PEACE SCHOLARSHIPS: Awarded to individuals for study in master=s degree programs at the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution.
C. ROTARY GRANTS FOR UNIVERSITY TEACHERS: Awarded to higher education faculty to teach abroad in an academic field of practical use to people in a low-income country.
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D. GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE (GSE): A vocational exchange between two districts consisting of a Rotarian team leader and four non-Rotarian team members.
POLIO PLUS PROGRAM: Provides funding for vaccine and transportation for mass immunization campaigns as well as support for social mobilization, surveillance, and laboratories to help carry out the final stages of global eradication of polio.
ROTARY CLUB OF FORT COLLINS BREAKFAST
FOUR AVENUES OF SERVICE
The Rotary Club of Fort Collins Breakfast was established around the Four Avenues of Service and plans, supports and funds programs around this cornerstone of Rotary International. In it, each of the Four Avenues of Service\Committees is headed by a Chairperson who is a member of the Board of Directors and is composed of club members who volunteer to become committee members. Each committee is active in its area and provides information to the club concerning its activities, programs and\or projects, and needs.
Attached to this Packet is a summary of each of the Four Avenues of Service\Committees listing its Chairperson, committee members, and its programs, projects, activities, and\or areas of focus.
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